Delicate garments tend to be expensive and sensitive to overcleaning. For example, women's undergarments are particularly sensitive to damage during washing. In addition, it is often difficult for women to find undergarments that fit well and are comfortable. Because quality garments are difficult to find and expensive to purchase, women are reluctant to have such garments damaged by overcleaning. On the other hand, if the garments are not cleaned often enough, they can build up dirt, bacteria, and odor, which can reduce the performance and/or usability of the garment and can result in the garment needing to be replaced sooner than it otherwise would be.
Several systems have been developed to track or monitor the number of times an article of clothing has been worn. Such systems include manual or automated devices that are applied to the clothing directly or to the clothing hanger. Several simple devices typically require the user to enter information on a tag, or otherwise perform a variety of actions. More complex systems are, by nature, more expensive and accordingly not as readily accessible and affordable. Accordingly, there remains a need for cost-effective yet reliable systems for tracking garment usage.